Llanthony Priory

Llanthony Priory, also known by its Welsh name Priordy Llanddewi Nant Hodni, is a significantly ruined former Augustinian priory situated in the isolated and picturesque Vale of Ewyas. Nestled within the Black Mountains region of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Monmouthshire, south-east Wales, its history stretches back to around 1100. The priory's secluded location, surrounded by steep-sided mountains, was noted by Giraldus Cambrensis in the late 12th century, who described it as a place "justly suited for religious exercises, and most proper for canonical discipline." This setting, coupled with its architectural significance, makes Llanthony Priory a compelling historical site.

Foundation and Early History

The Priory's origins trace to a knight named William who, around 1100, discovered a ruined chapel of St. David and was inspired to pursue a life of prayer. He was soon joined by Ersinius, a former chaplain to Queen Matilda, and a growing community of followers. A church dedicated to St. John the Baptist was constructed and consecrated in 1108. By 1118, the community had established itself as a priory of Canons Regular, marking it as the first of its kind in Wales. The priory faced challenges, including persistent attacks from the local Welsh population, which led to the establishment of a secondary cell, Llanthony Secunda, in Gloucester in 1135. However, later endowments, particularly from the de Lacy family's Irish estates, facilitated a significant rebuilding of the priory church between approximately 1186 and 1217, resulting in a structure that blended Norman and Gothic architectural styles.

Medieval Significance and Decline

Llanthony Priory grew to become one of the great medieval buildings in Wales. Further construction, including a new gatehouse, occurred around 1325. Notably, the deposed King Edward II sought refuge at the priory on Palm Sunday in 1327 while en route to Berkeley Castle. The priory's fortunes began to wane in the aftermath of Owain Glyndŵr's rebellion in the early 15th century, with its functioning capacity seemingly diminished. Formal merger with its daughter cell occurred in 1481, and by 1538, both houses were suppressed and dissolved under Henry VIII's monastic reforms.

Post-Dissolution and Later History

Following the Dissolution, Llanthony Priory gradually succumbed to decay, becoming a ruin. In the early 18th century, the medieval infirmary was repurposed as the Church of St. David. The estate saw a period of attempted revival in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when Colonel Sir Mark Wood converted some buildings into a domestic residence and shooting box. The poet Walter Savage Landor later acquired the estate and, through an Act of Parliament in 1809, attempted to construct a house, though it remained unfinished. Landor's ambitious plans for rural improvement were ultimately thwarted by disputes and financial difficulties, leading him to abandon the priory to his creditors. In the late 19th century, an Anglican monastic institution named Llanthony Abbey was founded nearby by Joseph Leycester Lyne, though it ceased to exist by 1908. The ruins themselves continued to attract artists, including J. M. W. Turner, and are now maintained by Cadw, with free public access to the main ruins.